Comfort Zones
by AAnitab
Summary: This one is after "Taking a Break" and before "Compliments and Conversations" which puts it well before "Better than a Teddy Bear".   Digging deep to catch a runner takes Julianne and Lloyd out of their comfort zones.  Ray gets a bit of a surprise too.


Title: Comfort Zones

Author: AnitaB

Author's notes: I own nothing from "Breakout Kings" and make no money. No infringement is intended. I just wish these scenes would come to me in some version of chronological order, but no. This one is after "Taking a Break" and before "Compliments and Conversations" which puts it well before "Better than a Teddy Bear". Digging deep to catch a runner takes Julianne and Lloyd out of their comfort zones. Ray gets a bit of a surprise too.

Comfort Zones

By AnitaB

"Damnit, we lost him." Ray resisted the urge to bloody his knuckles on the brick wall. Instead he dug into the pocket of his jacket for his phone. "Jules, he bolted in a carjacked minivan. Shea's texting you the license. I want to know the second that stolen credit card is used. I want this man in cuffs."

"On it," Julianne let her fingers fly over the keyboard, working several angles almost at once. "I've also put out APB's on the car he just stole and am searching local traffic cams. We should have at least a direction to focus on pretty quick."

"Lloyd, what's he gonna do next? He's been made and lost the one he was trying to get." It was Charlie's voice over the speaker phone, but Lloyd was already staring at the paper covered wall.

"How many of you did Robert actually see? Does he know how close he got to being recaptured?" Long fingers ripped a paper off the wall before their owner headed back to her desk.

"Just Erica. But she nearly ran him over with the SUV, so he knows someone's on his tail." Ray's voice hitched and Julianne could practically see Erica hitting him in the arm. "But no badges or guns hit daylight."

"Good. Robert will probably try to lay low before going back to the original plan. But I don't think he'll be spooked enough to leave town before he gets what he wants." He met the question in her eyes and the unspoken impatience over the phone. "Robert wants a girl to take home to his dying mother. He needs her approval before he can deal with anything else."

"Okay. We're going search the car he ditched. Everybody keep in touch."

They were training her to never say goodbye with just the click of the phone disconnecting. Julianne finally looked at the paper Lloyd handed her. It was a letter to Robert from his mother's doctor. "She doesn't have long, does she?"

"No, her lung cancer has metastasized. Probably only weeks left. That's why Robert had to take action now." Lloyd gestured sharply at the photos on the wall. Two dead, plus a comatose prison guard. "His mother is the only person who's real to him. He would never forgive himself if she died before he got to her. No one is going to get in his way as long as he can do anything about it."

"What will happen if the girl he picks doesn't want to be a part of his lifetime movie farewell?" She was pretty sure she knew the answer, but somehow the question still sat on the tip of her tongue.

"Dolls that don't walk and talk like they're supposed to get thrown away and a new one is picked out at the store." Lloyd ran both hands through his hair like that would get the knowledge out of his head. "Just like the kind little old lady who picked him up as a hitch hiker this morning and the man who owned the second car." He sat down on the edge of her desk and gave her a world-weary look. "I'm not up to seeing any more of Robert's broken toys today."

"We'll get him, Lloyd. It's what we do." Julianne reached out and covered his hand with her own. "We've gotten better than him and we're going to do it again." Long fingers slid between hers and Lloyd lifted their joined hands to press a kiss against her knuckles.

"I know we will, sweetheart." He let go of her hand and stood. Julianne felt her chin lifting and her eyes locking on his lips. Lloyd smiled and she knew he'd noticed. She also knew that he wouldn't lean down and give her the kiss she wanted, not until she made it very clear that she did want it. Julianne reached out her empty hands, her heart beating just a little faster as he claimed them mid-air and instantly twined their fingers together. Automatically helping her to her feet, Lloyd still didn't lean down yet. Leaning against his chest, she gave the question in his eyes a quick nod before tilting her head back and waiting. "Julianne," Finally Lloyd leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in the soft, simple kiss. Far too soon he raised his head and smiled down at her. "We should get back to work."

Julianne watched him walk across the room to his desk and its flood of papers. She waited for one more smile and the warmth in his eyes before forcing her eyes and mind back to the task at hand. They had a lot of leads to track down.

000

"That's weird,"

Lloyd looked up at the sound of her voice and got a little distracted by the sight of her teeth sinking into her lower lip. He adored her mouth. "What's weird?"

"He just used the credit card to open a tab at a bar. Why not just buy a drink?" Even as she asked the question, Julianne was reaching for the phone. Charlie and Ray needed the location right now.

"It makes him look safer." Lloyd found himself standing behind her chair with one hand on her shoulder to look at her computer screen. "Especially in that part of town."

"Safer?" Her voice stopped for a moment and he could hear the phone ringing on Ray's end of the line before a gruff voice spoke her nickname. "Ray, we got something. Robert just opened a bar tab at Junior's on the west side, I'm sending the address to Charlie's phone."

"A bar tab?"

"He's trolling for a woman. Having an open tab makes him look like a local, like a regular. It would be easier to get a girl to leave with you if you seem like you fit in." Lloyd aimed his voice at the speaker phone while pointing out the neighborhood to Julianne. "The bar's in a poor, but hard-working part of town. Remember he's looking for someone perfect to take home to mommy. He wants wife-material not a hooker. He needs time to pick the right one and he's got to get her out of the bar of her own free will so he needs to look safe."

There was a moment of silence on the end of the line, but Lloyd was distracted by the look on Julianne's face. It was warm and impressed. Eventually the silence on the phone took on an uncomfortable tone. Someone was thinking too hard, Lloyd could smell the neurons firing.

"Jules, you're gonna wanna say no, but you can't." Ray didn't pause long enough for anyone else to get in a word. "I need you to change into some of Erica's spare clothes and meet us outside Junior's."

"What… no… I can't." Every line of Julianne's body went stiff and trembling. Lloyd leaned closer along her side, dropping to his knees to rest a hand on her knee. "There's no way… I could…"

"You can, Jules. He's already seen Erica. She can't do it. We need to get him out of that bar without letting pick up another woman. If you dress up and go in, you can lead him out to us without anyone else getting hurt."

It was a good plan, smart enough Lloyd should have thought of it himself, but Julianne was panicking and then some. Her short nails were about to draw blood on her thighs even through the fabric of her skirt and leggings. Her breath was uneven and ragged, a hairsbreadth from full on hyperventilating. "I want to help, I want to catch him, but I can't…. I can't do that."

Lloyd spun her chair to face him and pried her hands loose, bringing shaking fingers up to rest on his chest. "Breathe, Julianne. Eyes on me."

"You can do this, Jules. Bring Lloyd, have him help you however you need. But you have to get here soon before he picks someone else." Every word just seemed to put more tension into the lines of Julianne's body. She was winding tighter and tighter with each letter. Ray meant well, but he wasn't helping right now. "Please, Jules."

Lloyd had had enough. Reaching out with one hand, he kept both of Julianne's hands against his heart with the other. "Set up outside the bar, but don't go in. We'll be there as soon as we can." One finger hung up the phone before anyone could speak another word. "Julianne."

"I can't do this. I can't go to that bar and I can't walk in to some new place all alone. I can't talk to him and I can't…" Her hands tangled in the cloth of his shirt and he followed her grip forward, his hands resting on her knees.

He was so damn proud of her for even focusing enough to clearly articulate the fear. Normally, she went silent when scared. "You won't be alone." Lloyd opened his arms to invite her closer, closing them gently around her after she buried herself against his chest. The trembling that shook every inch of her body started fading the second she was in his arms, diminishing even more as he tightened his grip. "Do you trust Ray? Do you trust me?"

She nodded against his shoulder, her breathing coming a little calmer as her arms snaked under his jacket and around his ribs. "Yes, yes to both."

"Good. Ray makes you feel safe, right? How far away does he have to be before the safe feeling wears off?" Lloyd pulled back enough to lightly run his fingertips down her cheek and meet wide, frightened brown eyes. But there was no way in hell he was letting her go, not yet. "How far away, sweetheart?"

She closed her eyes for the time of a few deep breaths before she looked at him. She was thinking past the panic, struggling but not collapsing under the strain. /That's my girl, you can do this.\\

"Twenty feet, give or take." Her hands closed around fistfuls of his shirt, pulling him closer.

"I won't be further than ten feet from your side, not at any point." He rubbed a hand up and down the outside of her thigh. "Ray and the rest of the team will be right outside the bar, waiting to grab Robert so he can never hurt anyone again." She was nodding a little and the muscles under his hand weren't quite as tense. "They're waiting for us. Let's go get you dressed."

He watched the faint irritation cross her face, proud of her yet again for coping this well. "What's wrong with what I'm already wearing?"

Lloyd found himself laughing. "Which one of us has been stuck in the sick bastard's head all day? I know exactly what he's looking for in a woman." He braced one hand on her desk to get to his feet before pulling her onto hers. "Come on, we don't have a lot of time."

000

This was definitely the weirdest thing she'd ever done in her life. And focusing on the strangeness was keeping her from thinking too much about her date with a new bar and an escaped convict. Her convict was muttering his way through Erica's closet in a way that was seriously trying to access her memories of the gay guy on 'What not to wear.' But before she gave in to the urge to laugh, he made up his mind. Now Lloyd Lowery was standing before her with a tank top in one hand and the boots she'd given Erica in the other. He was giving her the 'I know what I'm talking about face' and practically tapping a foot impatiently on the floor.

"Keep the skirt but take off the tights. Before we go into the bar you'll need to let your hair down and leave the scarf in the car. But you can keep both normal for the drive if it will make you more comfortable."

"Why are we letting you pick my clothes again? Your last date was how long ago?" Julianne rested her hands on her hips and just looked at him. She was joking with him both to distract herself and for the hint of pride in his eyes every time she sassed him. "Was it even this decade?"

"Technically it was last week when you took me to the diner down the street for lunch." His lips quirked and his hands tucked the clothing into her semi-willing arms. "Now are you getting changed on your own or is Ray going to kill me later for 'helping' you do it."

Arguing with Lloyd was getting to be downright calming she did it so often. "Go change your shirt and I'll meet you outside. Put on the plain black tee in Shea's new stuff."

Lloyd smiled, ducking his head for a brush of his lips against hers and a low little chuckle. "That's my home girl. Hurry it up."

Nerves were trying to set back in as soon as the door closed behind him. Julianne closed her eyes to focus on the sound of his voice in her head and toed off her shoes. /You won't be alone.\\ Yeah, this was going to be scary and stressful at the very least. But Lloyd would be with her. Ray would be right outside the bar. Both men would happily take Robert's head off if he laid a finger on her. /You can do this, Julianne Simms. Just get changed and get going.\\ Her hands were still shaking five minutes later as she stepped out of the room in the new clothes. "Well?"

His eyes traveled over her from head to toe and he started nodding more to himself than to her. "Perfect." Somehow the stroke of that gaze was helping. Skin that was complaining of the cold of unusual exposure to air was warmed just a little by his eyes. "Are you ready?" He held a hand out to her, long fingers looking like a life line.

"Not yet," His hand wouldn't be nearly enough. Julianne needed to wrap herself in his warmth before they left the building. She stepped past that hand and up against his chest. "Hold me first." Long arms wrapped loosely around her and she could feel his smile against her temple. "Tighter,"

"Yes, ma'am." Suddenly she was warm head to toe as Lloyd buried her against his chest and rubbed heat along her back and the bare skin of her arms. "Tighter?" She just nodded against his throat and squeezed her arms around his ribs. His arms locked around her waist. But as she could still breathe, he wasn't holding her quite tight enough. Even as Julianne cuddled closer, she was wondering if the stroke of his hands would have the same warming effect on her legs. She could feel every inch of the air between the top edge of the boots and the hem of her skirt. But that wasn't a good idea. If Lloyd looked up at her with those warm blue eyes while kneeling at her feet and running those expressive hands over her skin, skin he'd never touched before… well. Robert would not be captured by the Breakout Kings today.

"Now I'm ready." Julianne made herself pull back out of his arms, but couldn't manage the task without stealing a quick kiss. "Come on. If I'm really doing this, we've got to go before I come to my senses." Winding her fingers through his, Julianne led the way to the elevator, grabbing her purse without losing his skin against hers.

"I'll be right there with you, sweetheart. Ten feet or less." Lloyd pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. Julianne felt the promise in his gaze and his grip.

She chose to believe that the flutter in her stomach was because of the drop of the elevator under their feet. Julianne also knew when she was lying to herself. "I know you will, Lloyd."

000

She had no idea just how strong and beautiful she really was. But he did. Lloyd watched it build in her with happy pride every single time he was lucky enough to see her at all. Sitting in the passenger's seat of her car, he barely had to help her on the drive at all. It was a major improvement from the level of guidance and assistance it had taken to get the two of them to Tess's house when he figured out it that it was her father and not the convicted school counselor who had abused her. That, of course was no reason to keep himself from touching her on the drive. Lloyd rested one hand in his usual gentle grip on the back of her neck, rubbing his thumb behind her ear more for himself than for her.

"There they are."

He felt the edge of tension riding her body ease just a bit as she laid eyes on the black SUV that held the rest of the team. "Finally," Julianne pulled up behind them, cut the engine and rested her forehead on the steering wheel for a few shaky breaths. Now that it was safe to do so, Lloyd claimed one of her hands let himself whisper praise in her ear.

"Jules," Ray's voice held relief and impatience at the same time. Then he pulled Julianne out of the car and into a quick hug. Lloyd climbed out of the car on his side, resisting the urge to snatch his Julianne out of Ray's arms. The Marshall had made his tie to her absolutely clear quite awhile ago. He was boss, friend and big brother, not a romantic possibility. "I know this wasn't easy, kiddo. You did great."

"Let's get it done before I have time to really panic." Julianne turned and Lloyd knew she was looking for him before dark eyes locked on his face. "Ready, Lloyd?"

He had only been three feet away but he wanted closer for a moment. "Two things left to change first, Sweetheart. Do you want to do it, or should I?" Lloyd stopped with her boots just inches from his sneakers. Her hands lifted to his chest in time with a shaky breath on her lips. She didn't answer just nodded. He reached for her scarf and found her hands meeting his fingers. Dark eyes locked on his face as her hands double looped the dark length of fabric around his neck instead of pooling it in his palms. Then she turned to present him with the traditional mass of her hair pinned up in a bun. Lloyd had dreamed about burying his fingers in her hair, about the tangled length of it falling over his hands or his face. "Hold still a second." He tried to keep his mind on the case as he sent his fingers seeking out the small palmful of bobby pins holding up her hair. It got a little harder when her hair flowed loose down her back to cover his wrists in a warm, sweet smelling tangle. "Okay, let's go."

He'd barely stepped a foot back when her tiny hand locked on his. "Ten damn feet, Lloyd." Panic was just behind her eyes, but determination was winning. And Lloyd was smiling at her and cupping one hand along her jaw. He leaned down just enough to brush his lips against hers in a short but definite kiss, until the tension in her body faded just a bit.

"Or less, I promise. Let's go." Only then did Lloyd remember that he'd never kissed Julianne in front of the whole team before, never even hugged her, and he glanced up. Shea was passing an undetermined amount of folded money to Erica. Both were smiling and shaking their heads. Ray was standing with one hand resting on his gun and a weirdly neutral but thoughtful look on his face. Charlie looked surprised, but his body language didn't have any threat of violence in it.

He might have just done something that was going to be trouble down the road. But Lloyd would do anything for Julianne, even if Charlie kicked him off the team for it later. The beautiful woman clinging to his hand mattered more than anything else. Even parole. Lloyd straightened his spine and turned to face Charlie directly. "I'm going in with her. Put someone on the back door just as a precaution, but Julianne should be walking Robert right out that front door into your hands any minute. Be ready for us."

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Lloyd led the way down the block towards Junior's with her hands playing nervously with the trailing end of the scarf like it was still on her neck instead of his. "So, what it is that Robert's looking for in a doll?"

She was so much stronger than she thought she was. And he didn't have the words to tell her just how impressed he was with her all the time. "Someone he thinks he can control. Someone pretty, and a little 'girl next door'. Someone trusting. The second he sees you, he's gonna know just what he wants. Just like I did."

She melted against his side. "I'm enjoying the distraction. But it's a waste of bravery to go in there and not catch the runner. Be serious a moment, Lloyd." Her head leaned on his shoulder. The fall of her hair against his throat made him close his eyes for a moment before he could keep track of her words. "Self esteem issues aside, we need him to like me better than anyone else he's already scoped out in there."

His Julianne was very bright. "He'd have to be a lot crazier than he is to pick anyone else after he's seen you." It was hard, but Lloyd managed to force his arms to let her go. "I'll wait three seconds before following you in."

"You better." Julianne leaned up to brush her lips against his cheek. "See you inside."

000

She stopped one step inside the door, dragging in a shaky breath while Lloyd was still outside but somehow closer than he would manage once they both entered the bar. If Robert wanted an easy exit, Lloyd couldn't be attached to her inside the bar. After a couple of seconds to catch her balance and her breath, Julianne glanced around the room and headed for the empty seat closest to Robert at the bar. When the door opened and closed behind her, she didn't let herself look back. It was Lloyd and he was less than ten feet away as she slid onto the bar stool. /Don't look too nervous and don't touch your neck.\\ Her skin was cold without her scarf but knowing that Lloyd was wearing it for her was comforting in an odd way. Out of the corner of her eye, Julianne tracked that scarf as Lloyd took a seat at the bar on the other side of Robert. /That's my smart boy.\\ He was only six feet away there.

She was already finding it easier to look at the runner they were chasing because it let her look at her convict. Julianne sent a soft and interested look that way, making sure it hit Robert even though it was thoughts of Lloyd that provided the warmth. A quick gesture brought the bartender's attention to her while Lloyd's words were still circling her head. /Poor, but hard-working… respectable.\\ At the bartender's raised eyebrow, she asked for the second cheapest brand of beer that came in a bottle. "Comin' right up."

A glance to her right showed her both an approving smile on Lloyd's face and the first sign of interest on Robert's. "Hi," Julianne let both her knowledge of his profile and her own shyness drop her eyes to bar. But she thought of Lloyd and managed a smile before meeting Robert's eyes. "Come here often?"

"Not as often as I'd like. I'm David." He sent his right hand toward her in a move halfway between a handshake and an open palm like the old fashion dance request. "You're far too pretty to be drinking alone. Is your boyfriend running late?"

/No, he's right behind you and you're not David.\\ Robert didn't want anyone to notice her missing or to run into some guy on the way out of the bar with her. "No, I'm… I'm not…" She apologized to Lloyd in her head and finished the sentence. "I'm not seeing anyone right now. Too many hours at the restaurant, not enough money an hour, you know?" Julianne put her fingers into his grip and barely managed to keep her fear and disgust off her face. "My name's Tessa."

He didn't shake her hand, just held it and somehow pulled her closer at the same time. Every single nerve in her body was trying to convince her to jerk away from his fingers. It wasn't like her mind didn't completely agree already anyway. /Six feet, he's only six feet away. I'm safe.\\ But it was her job to get him out of the bar to the rest of the team outside. And Lloyd was right there. "Well, Tessa, I know exactly how that feels. How about I sit here with you awhile, put that first beer on my tab, and see if we still feel like talking when it's time for a second round?"

Julianne snuck a reassuring glance at Lloyd before responding. Her eyes lingered for just an extra fraction of a second on the long-fingered hands clenched worryingly tight on his own beer. She hoped he wasn't about to break the glass, or blow their cover. "That's sounds nice."

The bartender didn't react in the slightest when she exchanged a nearly full beer for a new one five minutes later, or when that beer was still mostly full five minutes after that. But she knew that Lloyd noticed and Robert didn't. "This is a nice bar, but it doesn't have a great dessert menu. Can I treat you to a cone? There's an ice-cream place just up the block."

/Good excuse. But the only place I'm going is outside where my Breakout Kings are waiting to tackle and cuff you.\\ Lloyd was already moving, dropping a bill on the bar and heading for the door. Apparently he was just as ready as she was to get Robert in cuffs and the hell off her hand. Julianne was already going to have to disinfect her arm up to the shoulder the second she got to the car. "There's an awful lot I'd do for a good mint chocolate chip waffle cone, David."

"I'll do my best to make the time more pleasant than losing an arm and a leg." Robert was holding out both his hands to help her back onto her feet. The last thing she wanted to do was touch him at all, but she was supposed to lead him out. /Ten feet. Lloyd will be right there to hold onto within feet of that front door.\\

Wishing for hand sanitizer, Julianne glanced at Lloyd on his way toward the door and gave Robert both of her hands. "Shall we?" She found herself only inches from his chest and fighting to keep the look on her face interested instead of creeped the hell out. "Lead the way, David. Ice-cream waits for no man." Julianne wrapped herself in the protective heat of Lloyd's gaze and the knowledge that the right man's arms were going to be around her less than ten feet outside that door.

She made sure she was at least half a step behind him on the way out the door, angling to the side where Lloyd's shadow was just barely visible through the window. Long fingers locked around her wrist even before the door closed behind her. Julianne was tucked between a lean body and the wall even before two familiar voices started the shouted commands. She knew without looking that both Charlie and Ray had out their guns. She could even hear the screams of bystanders who had no idea what was going on. But none of that mattered at all because Lloyd's heart was beating under her ear and his arms were holding her safe and warm. Julianne held on just as tight as he was, even tighter, burying herself against his chest and wrapping her arms around his ribs inside his jacket. "Tighter, Lloyd."

He squeezed harder and tucked his chin in her hair. "I am so damn proud of you, Julianne. And I've got you now, sweetheart. I'm not letting go." Neither was she, not right now.

000

He never done anything harder in his entire life than sitting very still right here, right now. It was harder than Maybelle, it was harder than a 25 year sentence in max security prison, it was harder than knowing his mother didn't really love him. It was hell to sit here and not touch her. Julianne, his sweet, beautiful Julianne was scared. She was sitting there, in a strange place, with her hair down, her protective clothes missing and letting a murderer touch her. And the only way he could help her was to sit here, very, very still and show her his face, his eyes.

And he absolutely could not touch her. If Lloyd listened to the pleading of every nerve in his body and every emotion in his head, he would do just that. He would step around Robert and wrap his precious girl in his arms, shelter her from anything even remotely scary or dangerous. He would surround her in walls, bubble wrap, and familiar surroundings just so he would never have to stand by while she was terrified again.

And then she would never get better. Nothing made him happier or prouder than the look on her face when she managed something she'd failed at before. Nothing made his breath catch or his heart beat harder than the moments his sweet Julianne had enough confidence to stand up to people. Including him. She was so damn beautiful when she was courageous. And right now he couldn't breathe at her beauty and her strength.

She was so close to succeeding at this impossible and dangerous plan. Julianne was playing tipsy perfectly despite having only taken the smallest of sips of beer, either one. Lloyd's own beer was full and the only thing keeping his fingers from reaching out and ruining everything.

And it was hard to force his fingers to open and his legs to move him farther from her side. But he had to be ready. Julianne was about to leave this bar on Robert's arm and he was going to be there to pull her to safety. And right into his arms. The door swung closed behind him and Lloyd stopped cold. His girl knew he'd be waiting for her, less than ten feet at all times, he'd promised. Julianne would see his shadow through the window and get herself close enough for him to reach.

And that's exactly what she did. Robert emerged from the bar trailing Julianne by one hand. She was on the right side of the doorway and hanging back by the length of her arm. /That's my home girl. I've got you now.\\ Lloyd could finally let his body wrest control from his logic, because both parts were in complete agreement. Robert was Ray and Charlie's problem now. It was his job to get Julianne out of the line of fire. The door hadn't even closed on her heels when he caught a slim wrist in his fingers and took her back from Robert. Tucking his Julianne against his chest, he angled her between his body and the wall. He was holding her close before the shouting and the take down had even begun, just like he wanted.

She was safe, warm, and clinging to his ribs under his jacket. Her body was finally free of the tension he'd had to watch when he couldn't hold her close. Lloyd could finally breathe even when she buried herself against his chest and squeezed her arms tight around him. "Tighter, Lloyd."

/Yes, sweetheart.\\ He loved the feeling of her relaxing even more the tighter he held her. Lloyd buried his face in her hair and held her so tight neither of them should be able to breathe. Somehow he found the air to put words to his lips, words he meant down to the depths of his soul. "I am so damn proud of you, Julianne. And I've got you now, sweetheart. I'm not letting go."

Eventually he would have to let her go. Eventually he would be forced to open his arms and let Julianne move more than a few inches from his side. But he didn't see that happening just yet. Lloyd buried one hand in her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Julianne lifted her chin from his chest, giving him the gaze of those gorgeous eyes. "Thank you, Lloyd. I couldn't have done this without you."

Lloyd just shook his head, his body naturally pulling hers closer as her arms curled around his neck. "You can do anything you want to, sweetheart. Never believe anything less of yourself." Her smile made his breath catch in the instant before she was lifting up on her toes and kissing him. It was a soft, simple press of lips. But it was the first time she'd reached for him when they weren't completely alone. Lloyd rubbed his thumb back and forth behind her ear and fought his nerves to help her keep the kiss soft and simple. When she pulled back it was with a smile on her face and her hand knotted up in the scarf still wrapped around his neck. "That's my home girl."

"That's our home girl." Lloyd caught one of Julianne's hands between his own and turned them both to face the voice at his back. Ray was almost smiling. "That was very good work, both of you." Reading the bald man's body language, Lloyd tugged their girl forward enough to let Ray pull her into a one-armed hug without letting go of her hand. "I know that was really hard for you, kiddo. You went a hell of a long way out of your comfort zone. But it worked. Charlie's got Robert all trussed up in the car and he's going back to prison because you were stronger than he was."

"Thank you, Ray. Can we get the hell out of here now?" Lloyd and Ray shared a look over her shoulder before he nodded.

"Yeah, kiddo. Gimme a second to chat with Lloyd and you two can head back." Lloyd felt her back stiffen up just a bit, probably for the same reasons his did. But he would not using her as a shield for his fear of Ray. And he had volunteered to be her shield against her anxieties. "Go on ahead, Jules. He'll be right behind you."

Wide brown eyes met his and Lloyd nodded, forcing his hand to let go of hers. "Twenty feet, Julianne. We'll be right there." Those dark eyes gave him a little disbelieving arch of her eyebrows but then she starting the walk back to her car without another word. Lloyd waited until she was five feet down the sidewalk before burying his hands in his pockets and starting off in the same direction. "Whatever you want to do to me is fine. But being in the Breakout Kings is good for her and she's good for them. Keep her on the team."

There was a moment of surprise on Ray's face before the big man fell into step beside him, slow enough to be out of hearing range, fast enough to hold within twenty feet. "That all depends on your answer to a few questions."

That was reasonable enough and more than Lloyd knew he had any right to expect. "Ask away."

"Are you playing her or falling for her?"

Lloyd closed his eyes for a second. It was both an easy question and a hard one. Ray was the closest thing to Julianne's father and he'd always sucked at meeting the family. But the answer was as clear in his mind as anything he'd ever known in his life. "Falling… hard. And I think she is too."

A nod was visible in the corner of his eye. "Do you make her feel safe?"

"Yes, I think I do."

"Is she safe with you?"

Lloyd stopped and turned. "Of course she is. I would never…" A big hand locked on his shoulder, turned him and got him walking again.

"Last question, Lloyd. Do you know what I'd do to you if you ever hurt her?"

"All too well. I'd be lucky to go back to Rahway."

"All right, then. Ride back to HQ with Jules and I'll talk to Charlie." Ray thumped him on the back once, the gesture something between a punch and a pat. Then the man walked over to the SUV and called out to the others. "Good work, animals, now get in the car."

"What was that, Lloyd?" A small hand slipped into his, fingers holding on tight.

He wasn't really sure himself, but it had seemed like a very, very good thing. Pressing a kiss to her temple, Lloyd smiled. "Just a talk. Let's get back on the road."

000


End file.
